Tag Archives: Brave New World

Chapter 15
1. Why does John decide to interfere with the soma distribution? Why does he say it is poison?
2. What does he think of the Deltas to whom he delivers his speech?
3. What roles do Bernard and Helmholtz play here? What does this tell us about their characters?
4. How does the soma riot end? What does it mean to be happy and good?

Chapter 16
1. How would you describe Bernard’s behavior in this chapter? Why does he act this way?
2. What does Mond say is the role of liberty? Happiness? Stability? Truth and Beauty?
3. How does Mond explain the caste system? What would happen with an entire society of Alphas?
4. Why does Helmholtz make the choice he makes?

Chapter 17
1. Why does Mond want to talk with John alone? What do they talk about?
2. How does John argue that the civilized man has been degraded? From what and to what?
3. What role does Mond say soma plays in this? What is an “opiate of the masses”?
4. In saying no to civilization, what does John say yes to? Would you make the same decision?

Chapter 18
1. Where does John go, and what does he plan to do there? Does this represent a healthy alternative from society?
2. How does the crowd respond? What happens that evening? What becomes of Lenina?
3. What is John’s decision? Why does he make it? Were there alternatives?

Chapter 10
1. How and why was the DHC planning to make an example out of Bernard?
2. Why is unorthodoxy worse than murder?
3. How does Linda act in the hatchery? How does the DHC react? The spectators?

Chapter 11
1. Why does John become popular, but not Linda?
2. How does Bernard’s life change? How does he react? What does Helmholtz think?
3. What does John think of the caste system? Of the clones? The feelies? Why?

Chapter 12
1. What does it mean that Lenina likes looking at the moon now?
2. How does Bernard’s position change? How do John and Helmholtz respond to Bernard now?
3. Why is Helmholtz in trouble with the authorities? What has he done that is dangerous, and why is it dangerous? Why did he do it? What does he want?

Chapter 13
1. What is happening to Lenina? How does she feel for John? What does she do to get what she wants?
3. How does John feel for Lenina? What does he want to do to prove it?
3. How does John react to Lenina’s actions? Why does he respond this way? What did he want from her?

Chapter 14
1. Why is Linda dying?
2. Why are the Delta children at the hospital? What does John think of this?
3. Why isn’t death terrible for those in the civilized world? What does this mean for the individual?

Chapter 6
1. Why is being alone a bad thing?
2. What do Lenina and Bernard do on their first date? Why is the ocean important? The moon?
3. How does Helmholtz feel about Bernard after he hears the story of the meeting with the director?
4. What do we learn from the Warden? What are the reservations like?

Chapter 7
1. What is the city itself like? What are the people like? How does Lenina respond? Bernard?
2. How is John Savage different? What does he want? How does he respond to Lenina?
3. What is Linda’s story? What has her life been like here? How does Lenina react to her?

Chapter 8
1. What was John’s upbringing like? His relationship with Linda? His education?
2. What does it mean to discover “Time and Death and God?”
3. Why does Bernard want to take John to London?

Chapter 9
1. Why does Mustapha Mond agree to the plan?
2. What happens when John watches Lenina sleep? What does he think or feel?

Chapter 1
1. What is the meaning of the World State’s motto “COMMUNITY, IDENTITY, STABILITY?”
2. Why do particulars “make for virtue and happiness,” while generalities “are intellectually necessary evils?”
3. How do people know who they are in this society?

Chapter 2
1. What work does the conditioning do? Who gets conditioned? How does hypnopaedia work?
2. Why condition the Deltas to hate nature but love outdoor sports?
3. What are the various castes like, and why?

Chapter 3
1. How is our world depicted? How do we get from here to there?
2. Why are strong emotions dangerous? Family relationships? Romance? Religion? Art? Culture?
3. What is soma? What are its uses?

Chapter 4
1. What does Lenina do on her date?
 What does she think of the lower castes?
2. Why is Bernard the way he is? What does he really want?
3. Why is Helmholtz the way he is? What does he want? How is he different from Bernard?

Chapter 5
1. What do Lenina and Henry talk about on their way home?
2. Why are stars depressing?
3. What are the solidarity services like? What role do they play? How does Bernard fit?